Piper PA-28-236 accident near Tacoma, Washington, April 21, 1995
On April 21, 1995 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-236, registered N2101X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma Narrows Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO AN UNLOCKED MIXTURE CONTROL THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY RIGGED. A FACTOR WAS THE DITCH IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1995 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Tacoma, Washington · Tacoma Narrows Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-236 · all PA-28-236s on the register
- Registration
- N2101X · registry record · serial 28-7921009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL AFTER TAKEOFF THEY EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE INSTRUCTOR ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT, MANIPULATED THE THROTTLE TO CONFIRM THE POWER LOSS, THEN MADE A FORCED LANDING. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE ENGINE WAS RUN SATISFACTORILY IN A TEST CELL AT THE FACTORY. AN FAA INSPECTOR NOTED THAT THE MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER WAS AFT OF ITS LOCKING MECHANISM, WHILE THE MIXTURE CONTROL ON THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM SERVO BODY WAS FULL RICH. THE MIXTURE CONTROL CABLE HAD BEEN REPLACED BY THE OPERATOR. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OPERATING HANDBOOK FOR THE AIRCRAFT, THE PURPOSE OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS TO PREVENT ACTIVATION OF THE MIXTURE CONTROL INSTEAD OF THE PROPELLER PITCH CONTROL.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,750 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 3,650 as pilot in command; 2,650 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1995; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17, 5,002 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA95LA088.